4 Arcade Game Documentaries You Should Watch

Documentary makers have made movies on just about every subject imaginable. Not surprisingly, some of those who grew up playing upright and tabletop arcade games have turned their attention to this subject matter.

What are the best documentaries about arcade games? Here are four you should watch.

Must-See Arcade Game Documentaries

• Chasing Ghosts – this 2007 movie looks at something that players of modern video games take for granted – tallies of top scores. With the internet, this is all automated now as games are online and connected. Back in the days of the arcade, however, things weren't so simple. In the 1980s, one man attempted to bring structure to the keeping of scores – Walter Day. This documentary covers his initiatives and the gamers who supported him.

• The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters – how far would you go to become the best Donkey Kong Player there ever was? This is the question The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters attempts to answer. The person trying to beat the record is Steve Wiebe and the record he is trying to beat is that of Billy Mitchell. This is more than a movie about a classic arcade game, however – it is a movie about a subculture that even gaming enthusiasts will not be fully aware of.

• Atari: Game Over – most gaming fans of the 1980s will be at the very least vaguely familiar with the demise of Atari. Central to this story is the infamous game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. This documentary looks into how the company dumped thousands of the game's cartridges in a landfill because it couldn’t sell them.

• Video Game Invasion: The History of a Global Obsession – as this movie was released in 2004, its history is not up-to-date. It is still an interesting watch, however, not least because the movie was made at a time much closer to the 1980s and 1990s than we are now. Hosted by Tony Hawke, it covers the popularity of video games from the earliest days of the arcade through to the home console revolution.

After you have finished watching these movies charting various aspects of arcade games and the industry in general, you might want to play some of your favourite classic games again. Luckily you can, on a modern full-size arcade machine pre-loaded with many great classic titles. Check out our range today.

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